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11 August 2000
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CERD
57th session
11 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon adopted its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Slovakia and the Czech Republic on their performance to combat racial bias in those countries.
Both Slovakia and the Czech Republic are among the 156 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and as such they must provide the Committee with periodic reports on the manner in which they are implementing the provisions of that human rights instrument.
In its conclusions on the report of Slovakia, the Committee was concerned about allegations that the police and prosecutors had failed to investigate acts of racially-motivated violence promptly and effectively, and had been reluctant to identify racial motive behind attacks. Slovakia was urged to take all necessary measures to ensure that Roma people enjoyed the full right to health and health care.
With regard to the report of the Czech Republic, the Committee expressed concern, among other things, at the fact that the Roma population continued to be subjected to discrimination and at the ineffective implementation of existing legislation to prosecute the perpetrators of incitement of racial hatred and support to racist movements. It recommended, among other things, that effective measures be taken to eradicate promptly practices of racial segregation, including the placement of a disproportionate number of Roma children in special schools.
The Committee noted as positive aspects in the two reports the declaration by both States parties on their recognition of the Committee's competence to receive and consider communications from individuals, under article 14 of the Convention, claiming to be victims of a violation by the State party of any of the rights set forth in that treaty.
The Committee also started this afternoon adopting its conclusions on the report of Nepal on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis and was expected to complete this next week.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Monday, 14 August, it will take up the fifteenth periodic report of the United Kingdom (document CERD/C/338/Add.12 and CERD/C/338/Add.12 Part II).
Concluding Observations and Recommendations on Country Reports
Slovakia
Among the positive aspects in the report of Slovakia, the Committee welcomed the establishment of the post of the Deputy Prime Minister on Human Rights, National Minorities and Regional Development; the establishment of the Government's Plenipotentiary for Addressing Roma Minority Issues, and the approval of the 1999 strategy for the solution of the problems of the Roma national minority and the set of measures for its implementation; and the State party's declaration with respect to article 14 of the Convention on the recognition of the Committee's competence to receive individual communications.
The Committee, however, regretted the absence of examples of the practical implementation of the provisions of the Convention; concern was expressed about de facto settlement patterns with regard to the Roma minorities and particularly about the fact that two municipalities had issued decrees banning Roma from their territory and the duration of proceedings to lift them; and concern was also expressed at the persistence of acts of violence by groups, particularly skinheads, directed towards Roma and other ethnic minorities.
Further, the Committee was concerned about allegations that the police and prosecutors had failed to investigate acts of racially-motivated violence promptly and effectively, and had been reluctant to identify racial motive behind attacks; the number of charges and convictions being low relative to the number of incidents reported; and that perpetrators of racial crime were often lightly punished. It also was concerned about the absence of legislation expressly prohibiting discrimination in employment; and that a disproportionately large number of Roma suffered high mortality rates, had poorer nutrition levels, and a low level of awareness of maternal and child health.
Among its recommendations, the Committee urged the inclusion, in the next report, of examples of the practical implementation of the provisions of the Convention together with information on any difficulties encountered in implementing them; recommended Slovakia to review legislation regulating local residence permits, to investigate promptly and thoroughly incidents of discrimination in access to housing and to give speedy consideration to those issues; that procedures be strengthened for timely and thorough investigations and effective prosecutions against racist organizations; that clear guidelines and instructions be developed to police and prosecuting authorities to assist them in identifying racially-motivated crimes, and ensure timely and effective investigations; and that Slovakia take all necessary measures to ensure that Roma enjoyed the full right to health and health care.
Czech Republic
With regard to the report on the situation in the Czech Republic, the Committee found the establishment of new advisory bodies on matters relevant to combatting racism and intolerance as a positive move, including the launching and implementation of the "tolerance project", a public awareness campaign intended to prevent racial discrimination and increase tolerance. It welcomed the steps taken by the authorities of the State party to make the declaration provided for in article 14 of the Convention recognizing the Committee's competence to receive communications.
The Committee said it remained concerned, among other things, by the fact that the Roma population continued to be subjected to discrimination in the fields of housing, education and employment; and at the measures taken by some local authorities leading to segregation and at the practice of school segregation by which many Roma children were placed in special schools, offering them lesser opportunities for further study or employment. Concern was also expressed at the ineffective implementation of existing legislation to prosecute the perpetrators of incitement of racial hatred and support to racist movements; and about the lack of effectiveness and confidence in the criminal judicial system to prevent and combat racial crimes.
The Committee recommended, among other things, that information be provided on the impact of the measures taken to improve the situation of the Roma minority, especially the ones designed to eliminate their social exclusion; that effective measures be taken to eradicate promptly practices of racial segregation, including the placement of a disproportionate number of Roma children in special schools; that legislation be strengthened to prohibit racist organizations; and that Slovakia undertake legislative reform to safeguard the enjoyment, without any type of discrimination, by all segments of the population, of economic, social and cultural rights.
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57th session
11 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon adopted its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Slovakia and the Czech Republic on their performance to combat racial bias in those countries.
Both Slovakia and the Czech Republic are among the 156 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and as such they must provide the Committee with periodic reports on the manner in which they are implementing the provisions of that human rights instrument.
In its conclusions on the report of Slovakia, the Committee was concerned about allegations that the police and prosecutors had failed to investigate acts of racially-motivated violence promptly and effectively, and had been reluctant to identify racial motive behind attacks. Slovakia was urged to take all necessary measures to ensure that Roma people enjoyed the full right to health and health care.
With regard to the report of the Czech Republic, the Committee expressed concern, among other things, at the fact that the Roma population continued to be subjected to discrimination and at the ineffective implementation of existing legislation to prosecute the perpetrators of incitement of racial hatred and support to racist movements. It recommended, among other things, that effective measures be taken to eradicate promptly practices of racial segregation, including the placement of a disproportionate number of Roma children in special schools.
The Committee noted as positive aspects in the two reports the declaration by both States parties on their recognition of the Committee's competence to receive and consider communications from individuals, under article 14 of the Convention, claiming to be victims of a violation by the State party of any of the rights set forth in that treaty.
The Committee also started this afternoon adopting its conclusions on the report of Nepal on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis and was expected to complete this next week.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Monday, 14 August, it will take up the fifteenth periodic report of the United Kingdom (document CERD/C/338/Add.12 and CERD/C/338/Add.12 Part II).
Concluding Observations and Recommendations on Country Reports
Slovakia
Among the positive aspects in the report of Slovakia, the Committee welcomed the establishment of the post of the Deputy Prime Minister on Human Rights, National Minorities and Regional Development; the establishment of the Government's Plenipotentiary for Addressing Roma Minority Issues, and the approval of the 1999 strategy for the solution of the problems of the Roma national minority and the set of measures for its implementation; and the State party's declaration with respect to article 14 of the Convention on the recognition of the Committee's competence to receive individual communications.
The Committee, however, regretted the absence of examples of the practical implementation of the provisions of the Convention; concern was expressed about de facto settlement patterns with regard to the Roma minorities and particularly about the fact that two municipalities had issued decrees banning Roma from their territory and the duration of proceedings to lift them; and concern was also expressed at the persistence of acts of violence by groups, particularly skinheads, directed towards Roma and other ethnic minorities.
Further, the Committee was concerned about allegations that the police and prosecutors had failed to investigate acts of racially-motivated violence promptly and effectively, and had been reluctant to identify racial motive behind attacks; the number of charges and convictions being low relative to the number of incidents reported; and that perpetrators of racial crime were often lightly punished. It also was concerned about the absence of legislation expressly prohibiting discrimination in employment; and that a disproportionately large number of Roma suffered high mortality rates, had poorer nutrition levels, and a low level of awareness of maternal and child health.
Among its recommendations, the Committee urged the inclusion, in the next report, of examples of the practical implementation of the provisions of the Convention together with information on any difficulties encountered in implementing them; recommended Slovakia to review legislation regulating local residence permits, to investigate promptly and thoroughly incidents of discrimination in access to housing and to give speedy consideration to those issues; that procedures be strengthened for timely and thorough investigations and effective prosecutions against racist organizations; that clear guidelines and instructions be developed to police and prosecuting authorities to assist them in identifying racially-motivated crimes, and ensure timely and effective investigations; and that Slovakia take all necessary measures to ensure that Roma enjoyed the full right to health and health care.
Czech Republic
With regard to the report on the situation in the Czech Republic, the Committee found the establishment of new advisory bodies on matters relevant to combatting racism and intolerance as a positive move, including the launching and implementation of the "tolerance project", a public awareness campaign intended to prevent racial discrimination and increase tolerance. It welcomed the steps taken by the authorities of the State party to make the declaration provided for in article 14 of the Convention recognizing the Committee's competence to receive communications.
The Committee said it remained concerned, among other things, by the fact that the Roma population continued to be subjected to discrimination in the fields of housing, education and employment; and at the measures taken by some local authorities leading to segregation and at the practice of school segregation by which many Roma children were placed in special schools, offering them lesser opportunities for further study or employment. Concern was also expressed at the ineffective implementation of existing legislation to prosecute the perpetrators of incitement of racial hatred and support to racist movements; and about the lack of effectiveness and confidence in the criminal judicial system to prevent and combat racial crimes.
The Committee recommended, among other things, that information be provided on the impact of the measures taken to improve the situation of the Roma minority, especially the ones designed to eliminate their social exclusion; that effective measures be taken to eradicate promptly practices of racial segregation, including the placement of a disproportionate number of Roma children in special schools; that legislation be strengthened to prohibit racist organizations; and that Slovakia undertake legislative reform to safeguard the enjoyment, without any type of discrimination, by all segments of the population, of economic, social and cultural rights.
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